Wagon-body.



W. E. BRELSFORD.

WAGON BODY.

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP PT. 1, 1900. 1 ,O22,296. Patented Apr. 2, 1912;

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WAGON BODY.

AIPLIOATION FILED 51m. 1, 1909.

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WAGON BODY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1909.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

' a sums-sum 3 UAAJLMMW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. BRELSFORD, OF TRIUMPH, ILLINOIS.

WAGON-BODY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM E. BRELS- roan, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Triumph, in the county of Lasalle and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in lVagon-Bodies, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in wagon bodies, and isparticularly directed to a hinge construction for connecting theplatform and sides of the body so that the latter may be convenientlyarranged at right angles to the platform to form a box body orin thesame plane with the platform to provide an increased carrying surface.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a hingeconstruction forming the connection between the platform and sides inthe operation of which the side may be turned down into a planepractically coincident with that of the platform and at the same timemoved toward the platform to form a practically unbroken surface whenthe side is extended.

The invention will be described in the following specification,reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view in elevation, with the wagon platform and side insection, illustrating the application of the hinge. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view through the hinge and connected parts. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the brace block. Fig. t is a broken perspective of thelower end of the hinge member which is secured to the side board. Fig. 5is a broken perspective of the hinge member which is secured to theplatform. Fig. 6 is a broken perspective showing the lower end of thebrace member. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the locking pin. Fig. 8 is abroken sectional view showing the hinge members in position to supportthe side board upright. Fig. 9 is a similar view with the hinge membersin position to support the side board in a plane with the platform.

The improved hinge comprises a head member 1 including side plates 2spaced apart to embrace and be secured to the cross piece or stringer 3beneath the platform 4 of a wagon body, the side pieces having lateralears 5 for the reception of screws which take directly into theplatform. The outer ends of the side plates are connected Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed September 1, 1909.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Serial No. 515,619.

by a plate (3 at their upper edges, which plate beyond the adjacent edgeof the platform is formed with openings 7 arranged in alinementlongitudinally of the platform but in spaced relation. Beyond the outeredge of the plate 6 the side plates 2 of the head are each provided ontheir inner surfaces with lugs S, which at their outer ends form guardllanges 9, the free ends of which llanges are in line with the outeredges of the plates 2. From the guard flanges the lower surfaces of thelugs 8 curve downwardly, as at 10, and then upwardly, as at 11, and suchsurfaces terminate coincident with the lower surface of the plate 6immediately adjacent the outer edge of the opening 7. The upper surfacesof the lugs S are formed, as at 12, Fig. 5, to provide guide surfacesfor a purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

Pivotally mounted in the head 1 is a brace block 13 formed to provide aninner plain surface let, the end of the block ad jacent the upper end ofthe surface 14; being formed with a transverse opening 15, for a purposewhich will be later explained. The head 1 is formed with a dependingplate 16 to rest against the end of the cross piece 3, said plate havingside flanges 17, the distance between the inner surfaces of whichcorresponds to the transverse dimension of the plain surface 14: of thebrace block. On the outer edge the brace block is provided with aprojection 18 formed with a transversely arranged pivot opening 19. Thebrace block is pivotally mounted between the flanges 17 of the head bymeans of a pin 20, said pin being so arranged that the plain surface ofthe block may, when the block is permitted to swing freely downward,contact with the outer surface of the depending plate 16.

Secured upon the side board 21 of the wagon is what I term the movablemember 22 of the hinge, said member comprising a section of channel ironform having laterally projected cars 23 whereby it may be secutred tothe side board. Secured within and centrally of the section 22,preferably formed integral therewith, is a bar which projects below thelower end of the section and is terminally formed with a cross bar 24.This bar is of a length to fit between the side plates 2 of the headbeneath the lugs 8, and on its surface next the platform is provided ateach end a stud-like projection 25 so spaced apart and of such size asto enter the openings 7 in the head. The end of the section 22 engagesthe lower edge of the side board and is rounded at 26 to bear upon theupper guide surfaces 12 of the lugs 8. The upper ends of the side wallsof the channel section 22 are slightly enlarged and formed with pivotopenings 27, to receive the upper end of a brace bar 28, a pivot pin 29connecting the member 22 and brace bar together at their upper ends. Asshown more particularly in Fig. 6 the lower end of the brace bar isprovided with spaced laterally projecting ears 30 formed with pivot pinopenings 31, said ears being designed to embrace the projection 18 onthe brace block and the openings 31 and opening 19 in said projection receiving a pivot pin 32 so that the lower end of the brace bar isconnected to the brace block. Immediately above the cars 30 the bracebar is provided with a solid projection 33 extending outwardly beyondthe free edges of the ears and formed with a transverse opening 34. Thisopening is designed when the side 21 is in upright position to registerwith transversely alined openings formed in the side plates 2 of thehead, so that when in such position a locking pin, as 36, may beintroduced to hold the parts in applied position. The locking pin 36 ispreferably identical with the construction of the pin 20, and, asillustrated in Fig. 7 comprises a suitable length of bar formed on oneend with a handle 37 and adjacent the handle with a locking pin 38. Theopening in one of the side bars 2 is designed to be formed with acommunicating recess through which the pin 38 may be passed inintroducing the pivot rod, and after the pin is beyond the inner surfaceof the plate 2, turning of the rod in one direction or the other willlock the same against displacement.

I/Vhen the side board is in upright position it will be noted from Fig.2 of the drawings that the opening 34 of the projec- "tion 33 of thebrace bar is alined with the openings 35 in the side plates, so that theintroduction of the pivot rod 36 will secure the parts in such position.In this position the ends of the cross bar 24. of the hinge membersecured to the side board rest against the inner surfaces of the guardflanges 9, securing the side boards upright. lVhen it is desired tolower the side boards into the plane of the platform the locking pin 36is withdrawn, permitting the brace bar to swing downwardly with thebrace block 13 until the latter contacts with the outer surface of thedepending plate 16. This movement, assisted, of course, by a manualmovement of the side board, causes the projecting portions of the crossbar 24 to ride beneath the lugs 8 toward the adjacent edge of theplatform, this movement continuing until when the surface 14 of thebrace block is in contact with the outer surface of the depending plate16 the side board 21 is practically in the plane of the platform and thecross bar 24 rests beneath the plate 6 of the head with the studs 25 ofthe cross bar seated in the openings 7. The side board is thus locked inlowered position with its lower edge in contact with the adjacent edgeof the platform to avoid a break at this point.

It is, of course, to be understood that the side boards may be connectedto the platform by any desired number of hinges, and that the structureis particularly serviceable with hay rack bodies, though its use iscontemplated in any form of wagon body having side boards which it isdesirable to adjust to increase the load surface of such body. Thevarious parts of the hinge are to be constructed of any desired materialand in any size or shape best adapted for the particular use to whichthey are to be put.

I claim z- A wagon hinge comprising a head member adapted to be securedagainst the end of a stringer and below a platform, said head memberbeing formed with side plates, a brace block pivoted to said sideplates, said head member being formed with guiding surfaces, a brace barpivoted at its lower end to said brace block, a bar pivoted to the upperend of said brace bar, a side board secured to said bar, a projection onsaid brace bar and formed with an opening, a

pivoted rod extending through said open-' ing in said projection, saidbrace block being adapted to engage the outer surface of the head 1n 1tsinnermost position, the lower end of said bar being formed with a restfor said side board, and a rounded cross bar formed on said bar andadapted to contact with the guiding surfaces formed on saidhead.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. BRELSFORD. Witnesses:

W. H. DUNLAP, R. L. WORSLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, 1)v G.

